Writing Task 2: Two-Part (Direct) Question Essay: Question 2
Syllabus W.task2
In several developed countries, the proportion of 17- to 25-year-olds who hold a full driving licence has fallen steadily over the past two decades, even though overall car ownership among older adults has remained high.
What are the reasons for this? Do you think it is a good thing?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience. Write at least 250 words.
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Worked solution
Examiner notes: why this is a band 9 response
Task Response
The introduction paraphrases the trend and previews both answers precisely: the reasons (cost and urban alternatives) and a qualified but clear opinion (“more negative than positive”). The first body paragraph fully answers the “reasons” question with two developed causes and a concrete example, the Fenmoor Insurance quote. The second body paragraph fully answers the opinion question with an explicit stance (“I do not think this is, overall, a good thing”) supported by the Bracknell Fen example, so neither question is left as an afterthought.
Coherence & Cohesion
Topic sentences flag which question each paragraph answers (“The clearest reason is cost…”, “I do not think this is, overall, a good thing…”), and “At the same time” and “While” cleanly signal the shift between causes and between the concession and the main opinion. Reference such as “this gap” and “this decline” ties detail back to the point it supports.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is precise and topic-appropriate: “insurance premiums”, “ride-hailing apps”, “less-connected areas”. Near-synonyms avoid repeating “driving licence” (e.g. “driving lessons”, “qualified drivers”), and collocations are accurate (“out of easy reach”, “reducing the incentive”).
Grammatical Range & Accuracy
The response shows confident control of complex structures: a colon introducing an explained cause, a non-defining relative clause (“a gap that made him postpone lessons indefinitely”), and a concessive clause (“While reduced driving may modestly cut congestion…”). There are no errors of tense, agreement or word form anywhere in the response.
Common pitfalls specific to this task
See commonMistakes above: the most damaging is developing the reasons for the decline in detail while never stating an explicit opinion on whether it is a good thing. A band 9 two-part response must give each question a full, separately developed answer.